DOTS Program

The DOTS Program offers free services to help students prepare for A-B Tech’s college-level classes. DOTS can offer you support as you work to improve your academic skills to the levels required for success in curriculum classes. You can schedule a TABE Test at abtech.edu/placement, at the link "Schedule Placement Testing." You log in using the same username and password as your WebAdvisor/Moodle accounts and then select a date from the drop-down menu on the next page for the TABE test. The Testing Center will also accept students on a walk-in basis if space allows, Monday–Thursday 8:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The test can take up to an hour to complete, so you should arrive at least an hour before the lab closes. Bring your referral form with your NC-DAP/Accuplacer scores.

If you test out of your subject, you will skip to Step 3. An instructor will document your test results on a blue form and give it to you so you can return to Student Services to register for college classes!

Step 1 – Re-test: If you have taken the NC-DAP/Accuplacer and have not passed in one or more subjects, you will be given a form and referred to the Testing Center in the Simpson Building (building #1 on our campus map) for re-testing. You will take a paper-and-pencil test called TABE, which takes about 30–60 minutes to complete, depending on the subject.

Step 2 – Study: If you do not test out of your placement area, you will need to review the subject area skills before re-testing. Instructors in the DOTS Labs in the Hemlock Building are available to help you. They will match you with the right learning materials to target your needs. You can work at your own pace in the classroom or online to improve your skills. You cannot re-test prior to the fifteenth day after your initial test.

Step 3 – Enroll in college classes: Once you have improved your skills and demonstrated (by a re-test on the TABE) that your new learning reaches the goals set by Admissions, you will be referred back to Student Services to register for college classes.

DOTS Office Hours

The regular hours of operation for the DOTS office are 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday (closed on Saturday and Sunday).

Hemlock Testing Center Hours

You should arrive at least one hour before closing so you have time to complete the placement test.

Tuesday 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (noon)

Thursday 2:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Friday 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Contact

If you would like more information, please call (828) 398-7433, email dots@abtech.edu, or stop by the Department of Transitional Studies Office on the third floor of the Hemlock Building.